Balance slide-valve



`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND HAUe, F WHISTLER, ALABAMA.

BALANCE SLI DE-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,370, dated March 9, 1880.

Application filed February 3, 1880. l

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND HAUG, of Whistler, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Balance Slide-Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it., reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in balanced slide valves; and it consists in a valve having a wearing face or surface on both top and bottom of exactly the same size and form, the bottom face or surface of the valve working on the valve-face of the steam-cylinder, while the top face of the valve slides steam-tight under the bearing-plate of a chamber located in the top ofthe chest-cover.

It further consists in a chamber formed in the cover of the steam-chest, and in which are placed two rings, having their adjoining edges formed into inclined planes, one of the rings being connected to a spiral spring, and a mechanism for adjusting the tension of the spring, whereby the pressure of the bearing plate on the top of the slide-valve can be adjusted at will. l 1

It still further consists in forming three cavities in the bottom of the valve-face of the bearin g-plate and forming small openings through the edges of the slide-valve, so as-to connect the outer cavities with their corresponding inlet-ports of the steam-cylinder, all of which Will be more fully described hereinafter.

Figure lis a longitudinal vertical section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view, part of the frame being removed. Fig.3 is a longitudinal section of the valve alone. Fig. llis a side elevation of the two rings. 'i `a represents the valve-chest, which has a cylindrical chamber, b, itted into or formed on the chestcover. The part c, fitted to this chamber, is formed bya bearing-plate having its upper side hollowed out, and having in its lower bearing-face three cavities, d, formed, which cavities correspond in dimensions and form to the two inlet-ports and the exhaustport of the steam-cylinder. The diameter of the cylindrical part of the chamber corresponds to the rectangular part of the bearingplate c,

in which the three cavities are formed, and which rectangular part rests directly upon the top of the slide-valve.

The two outer cavities become filled with live steam at the same moment that their corresponding` inlet -ports of the steam cylinder become filled. Thepressure above and below' the valve being exactly equal, the valve is 4perfectly balanced in whatever position or part of its travel it may be.

The valve has an exhaust-opening through its center, from top to bottom face, making the valve buta rectangular shell, so as to relieve it from all pressure of the exhauststeam. Through the outer edges of this shell are made a number of vertical openings, n, which serve to connect the two inlet-ports with their corresponding cavities d.. These openings a are so placed that as soon as the valve has traveled far enough to separate the steam inside of the cylinder from the live steam in the chest a connection is accomplished, in order to equalize the difference in the pressure above and below the valve.

Passing vertically down through the chamber b, and having its lower end centered in the top ofthe bearing-plate c, is the shaft e, which has a ratchet, f, secured to its upper' end for the dog g to engage with, and thereby hold the shaft in any desired position. In the top of the chamber is placed the ring i, which has its lower edge formed into inclined planes h, and to which ring is secured one end of the coiled spring l. The other end of this spring is fastened to the shaft, so that by applying a Wrench or other tool to the top of the shaft and turning the shaft partially around the tension of the spring can be increased or decreased at will. As the tension is increased the whole power of the spring is exerted in an effort to rotate the ring, and this effort is resisted by the inclined planes on the lower edge of the ring, which planes flt in and correspond to the planes o on the top of the bearing-plate c. As the ring cannot turn, on account of the inclined planes, but a very slight degree, the tension of the spring causes the ring, through its inclined planes, to bear down upon the top of the bearing-plate c, and thus the bearingplate c can be made to bear down upon the slide-valve with any desired degree of force. In this manner the 'pressure of the bearing- IOO plate c may be regulated with the greatest precision, so as to overcome the friction caused by the packing-rings with which the bearingplate is provided, in order to prevent live steam from passing up into the chamber. In this manner all necessary pressure can be l regulated from the outside of the chest Without removing or (ilisarranging a single part.

With an automatic means ot adjustmentinside of the chamber it is impossible for the valve to so Wear that this Wear cannot be instantlytaken up. This adjustment can be applied to any steamchest of enginesin which a slide-valve is `used, and will always insure a tight valve Without any one side steam-pressner affecting the position of the rod. The 25 valve, which is made reversible, so that either face can be used up or down, is held in place upon the rod by suitable nuts and a collar.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The chamber b, placed upon the top of the steam-chest, in combination with the ring and bearing plate, having their adjoining edges provided with inclined planes and a meansV of operating them, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the steam-chest, a chamber placed thereon, a shaft, coiled spring, ring7 and bearing-plate c, the ring and bearin g-platehaving their adjoining edges provided 4o withinclined planes, substantially as shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of January, 1880.

EDMUND HAUG. Witnesses:

F. H. BRIcGs, GEO.'W. DALY. 

